Entering the Undergraduate Stage



	> Placement Service by Student Advisors > Student Assessment > Assessment Grade (GPA) Calculation

Placement Service by Student Advisers

On entering the UNSW Foundation Year, an international student is:

• allocated to a particular stream of study

• given a provisional offer of enrolment in a particular undergraduate program.

At the end of UNSW Foundation Year, as soon as the final results are known, the Student Advisers arrange placement:

• in that program (or if you did not meet the required entry grades),

• in another program for which you qualify.

Towards the end of the UNSW Foundation Year, the Student Advisers arrange a Faculty Information Day where you can gain first-hand information about the many undergraduate courses the University offers and talk directly to the representatives of the different faculties. The Student Advisers discuss preferences with you before university placement is made.

Student Assessment

Units of Credit

Each subject is allocated a number of units of credit, which determine its weighting in the grade point average (GPA) calculation.

All UNSW Foundation Year students are assessed throughout the program in each subject by assignments (tutorial / laboratory), semester examinations and final examinations.

Your performance in each subject is expressed in terms of a letter grade with an associated grade point.

Subject Grade

Grade Points

Description

A+

10.0

A

9.5

Excellent pass

A-

9.0

B+

8.5

B

8.0

Very Good Pass

B-

7.5

C+

7.0

C

6.5

Good Pass

C-

6.0

D+

5.5

D

5.0

Moderate Pass

D-

4.5

E+

4.0

E

3.5

Marginal achievement

E-

3.0

F

0

Fail

Assessment Grade (GPA) Calculation

Your overall performance is expressed as a grade point average (GPA). The GPA is determined by averaging the grade point times the unit weighting for each subject. For example, suppose you gained the following final grades:

ENGLISH
COMPUTING STUDIES
MATHEMATICS S
CHEMISTRY
BIOLOGY

B-
A
B
C
C+

then the GPA would be as follows:

Subject

Units of Credit

Final Grade

Points Earned

English

B-

10 x

7.5

Computing Studies

A-

6 x

9.0

Mathematics S

12 x

8.0

Chemistry

10 x

6.5

Physics

C+

10 x

7.0

Total

360

GPA

= Total points earned

divided by (÷) the total units of credit

= 360 ÷ 48

= 7.5

To proceed to the undergraduate stage you are usually required to have:

• a minimum GPA;
• a minimum grade in Academic English;
• satisfied the assumed knowledge/additional requirements of the program.